Legacy
by ode2ikashi
Summary: Kakashi brings home a baby he finds on a mission with unexpected consequences. He and Iruka have to learn to cope with the new addition to their lives, while trying to keep their relationship from crumbling. Princess Tyler Briefs & Karuka Ikashi
1. Chapter 1

_**Legacy**_

By: Princess Tyler Briefs and Karuka Ikashi

_Chapter 1: The Stork is named Kakashi_

It amazed Iruka that the days that would change his life always came without warning. The day his parents had died, Iruka had gone to school as he normally did, caused trouble as he normally had, and been grounded like he always was. The day he first had Naruto in his class had been surprisingly cold, but otherwise of little consequence. The day he'd first met Kakashi he couldn't even remember because it had been so normal (though it had been raining the day Kakashi asked him out).

The particular morning was as regular as every other day of the week Kakashi had been gone. Iruka woke up and reached for his lover, frowning when he found Kakashi's spot empty. He would then remember that Kakashi was on a mission and sigh as he pulled himself out of bed.

He'd begun to make his breakfast by sticking some rice in the microwave, and then dug his favorite pair of pajamas out of the dirty clothes hamper in the bathroom. He smiled at the little scarecrows before pulling them on. He ate the rice with the last of the milk and some sugar, and then went to brush his teeth and pull back his hair.

He was in the middle of this activity, having brushed his hair back and holding it loosely with one hand while he used the other to move his toothbrush, when there was a knock on the door.

Iruka sighed, still brushing and holding, as he walked through the small apartment he and Kakashi shared. A few stray strands of hair slid from his grip as he stopped brushing long enough to unlock the door and remove the traps Kakashi had insisted Iruka have whenever his lover was not home (the paranoid Jounin).

Iruka blinked at what he saw, first trying to comprehend what he was seeing and then seeing if it would disappear. It didn't. There stood Kakashi, looking tired and muddy, with something small, pink, and wiggling strapped to his chest with a sling made from his blanket.

"Yo," Kakashi said with an exhausted smile. "Do you answer the door like this for everyone?"

Iruka ignored him, gaping around his toothbrush. He tried to speak, but instead found himself choking on his lemon-mint toothpaste. He motioned for Kakashi to come inside and listened as Kakashi shut the door as Iruka spit his toothpaste out in the kitchen sink. He rinsed his mouth quickly, finally letting the rest of his hair drop back down again, before walking back in to the main room.

Kakashi was now sitting on the floor to take off his sandals. The thing strapped to his chest was mewling pitifully, one tiny fist clutching the Jounin's flax jacked.

Iruka dropped his toothbrush. "It's a baby!"

Kakashi glanced up at him. "Yes, it is."

"What on earth are you doing with a baby?"

"I found it."

Iruka walked over, sitting down weakly in front of his lover. "You found it?"

"That's what I said."

"'Kashi, you don't just find babies while on assassination missions."

"I didn't find it on my mission."

"You didn't?"

"No. I found it on my way back."

Iruka stared at Kakashi like he would one of the kids in his class if the child had just shown his ability to perform A-ranked jutsus.

"You," he started slowly, once he'd regained some brain function, "found it on your way home?"

"Yep. It was lying in a rice field in this little basket, sort of hidden. I thought it was dead. I picked it up, and it started to scream. So, I did the first thing I could think of."

"Knocked it out?"

"No! I brought it home to you."

Iruka felt rather like banging his head against the nearest wall. A normal ninja would have just put it back. A compassionate ninja would have taken it to the nearest dwelling and left it there.

But, oh no, not his lover. Kakashi seemed to have the default setting of 'get Iruka to deal with it' when faced with anything remotely child-related.

"Besides," Kakashi continued, looking nervous now, "you like kids, so I thought you might want one of your own."

"Kakashi, I spend all day with nearly forty children! Why on earth would I…"

The thing cradled to Kakashi's chest chose that moment to let out a high-pitched shriek that turned quickly in to an ear-splitting wail.

Kakashi jumped at the noise, looking genuinely startled as he froze. Iruka lunged forward automatically, scooping the infant up and cradling the small warm body.

"Sh, it's okay," Iruka cooed softly, running his hand along the smooth skin of the baby's back as he rocked it. "It's okay, little one. You're okay."

Something in his tone must have been soothing as the wails turned to crying, and then swiftly dwindled in to a bunch of very wet sounding hiccup-sobs. Only then did Iruka risk a look up at his lover. Kakashi had pulled his mask down so none of his feline smirk was wasted.

"So, I was thinking we could call him Kakashi Jr."

Iruka sighed wearily, closing his eyes and trying to remind himself why he missed Kakashi when he was away. "Two things wrong with that plan, Kakashi."

"Oh?"

"Yes. First of all, she's a girl."

"Really? How can you tell?"

Iruka opened his eyes to give Kakashi a look that sent ninja twice Kakashi's age crying for their mother's. The Jounin just managed to look sheepish.

"Never mind. I just sort of assumed the diaper was hiding it, or it hadn't grown yet."

For the sake of his sanity, Iruka chose to ignore the last of Kakashi's reasoning. He was just trying to lighten the mood with a poor joke. Iruka hoped.

"The second problem is that she has to belong to somebody."

"How do you figure?"

"Kakashi. You read Icha Icha. Surely you know where babies come from."

Kakashi sulked at Iruka's dry tone. "I meant maybe she's an orphan too."

Iruka had to give him that one. "Maybe. But, 'Kashi, not all orphans are like us. Most have aunts, uncles, or other family that they belong to."

"Well, it's not as if we can go around asking everyone around there if someone lost a baby. "

"We should at least try. Maybe ask Tsunade to send a genin team out. Think about her poor mother- if she has one- terribly upset because her baby disappeared."

"She seemed abandoned to me."

"Or hidden," Iruka argued, "What if you picked her up before the mother came back for her?"

"There was no sign that anyone was near there…or _had _been there for a while. How long can a baby survive on its own, Iruka? Someone probably just wanted to get rid of her. They felt too guilty killing her, so they just threw her away...maybe they had even hoped someone would find her and take her off their hands. I didn't kidnap that baby; I saved her!"

Kakashi's voice had suddenly grown very serious. Iruka sighed, not seeing any point in arguing about it anymore – at least not at the moment. There were more urgent things to consider, like just what to do with the now hiccupping and smelly baby in his arms.

"Well, let's just get her fed and cleaned up for now. We can figure this out later. Go to the store and find some baby formula. I'll start the bath and then-"

"Don't you have to be at the academy soon?" Kakashi asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow.

Iruka turned his head to look at the clock, alarmed. He had gotten so distracted, reasonably so he thought, that he had forgotten all about his class. He muttered something less than decent under his breath and tried to decide what to do. He didn't want to skip work. If he did, he'd have to explain it later, and besides that, he didn't think having a baby suddenly show up was enough of an excuse to skip work when he had his partner here…but Kakashi with a _baby_? Just the thought alone scared him and here he was, having just confirmed it with his own eyes.

"I'm not going," he said finally.

"What? Iruka, I can handle this, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Just like you handled it on the way here, right?"

Kakashi made a sour face at him and his sarcastic tone like a student would if Iruka had told him he would make a lousy ninja because he'd grabbed the kunai from the tip instead of the handle. Even though he hated to admit it, maybe Iruka was right. This just wasn't his field. He thought about offering to sub Iruka's class, but after what had happened the _last _time Iruka had accepted such an offer, it wasn't likely that the chuunin would be too willing to let him do it again. The children needed to retain _some_ degree of innocence before graduation.

"Fine," Iruka sighed finally, surprising Kakashi as he handed the infant over, "I'll leave you in charge of her, but if you have any trouble, go straight to the neighbors. They have children; they'll know how to handle it. If they can't help, come get me. Do not hesitate to do that, understand?"

Kakashi nodded enthusiastically. He held the baby to his chest and rocked her slightly. The baby smiled up at him and gurgled, wrapping small chubby fingers around the closest scroll pouch on his vest. Iruka raised an eyebrow at the strange scene, but shook his head. He quickly left and dressed at mission-pace before returning to find Kakashi and the baby just where he'd left them. He took a piece of paper from the kitchen table.

"Here are the things you'll need," he said as he began to scribble them down.

He handed the note to Kakashi, who skimmed over it with a lazy eye and nodded.

"Sounds simple enough."

"Good," Iruka said with a nod, "I'll be back once school's out. Try to keep out of trouble until then."

"I'm not a child," Kakashi grunted, trying to hide a pout.

"Yes, but you're in charge of one now. And if you don't take the responsibility seriously, you'll find yourself in trouble no matter how old you are."

Iruka smirked slightly at Kakashi's frown and walked up to kiss it away. Careful not to squash the baby between them, Kakashi leaned forward to kiss his lover goodbye.

"Good luck," the chuunin told him.

"Thanks, you too."

Iruka gave him a confused look.

"Well, if you think one is so much trouble, I can't imagine what a classroom full of them must be like."

The chuunin grinned. "At least mine are potty-trained. I'd get the diapers first if I were you. Make sure they're the right size."

Kakashi nodded, and the two said their goodbyes as Iruka left for the academy.

"Well," the Jounin said, turning to the bundle in his arms, "Shall we?"

The baby yawned in response, and Kakashi took it as a cue to get ready to go. First he had to change out of these filthy clothes.

He set the baby down on the bed as he began to strip out of his vest and shirt. No sooner had he put her down than the infant began to cry. His first instinct was to run after Iruka – he couldn't have gotten too far yet – but no. This was something he had to handle himself.

Cautiously, he approached the baby and picked her up again. He was surprised to find that the child ceased crying once she was securely back in her caretaker's arms. Kakashi smiled proudly. Getting dressed would be a problem, but at least it felt good to know the baby enjoyed being held by him. The baby sniffled and wiggled a little bit.

"I can't keep holding you, you know. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to put you down."

The infant gurgled and gave him an innocent look. Kakashi sighed and tried to maneuver a clean shirt around the baby in his arms. The pants were trickier, but he managed with one hand. Once he was finished, he decided to clean the baby up before taking her out to the store. His nose wrinkled as he discovered the infant had already soiled the diaper she was wearing. _I thought something smelled…Is it normal for it to be that color? _

He washed the baby in the bathroom sink and wrapped her in a fresh blanket. Iruka was right. Diapers were definitely first on the list. _Now where to find some?_

Kakashi headed out the door carrying the bundle in his arms and made his way to the store. Heads turned as people along the street recognized who they thought was none other than the renowned Copy Nin – but carrying a baby? The Jounin could hear whispers around him the entire trip, but the only words he ever caught were "Kakashi" and "baby."

Kakashi entered a store full of supplies from toiletries to canned food. There was a large baby section too, and there, he found a variety of diapers in all kinds of sizes.

"How are you supposed to know which one fits?" He asked nobody in particular. All he could see on the packaging was an age and a weight, neither of which he actually knew for the tiny girl in his arms- nor did he have any idea how to even guess.

The infant had fallen asleep by then, so Kakashi decided the best way to figure out the sizes would be to pull one out and try it on her. He looked up the aisle first, and then down it to make sure it was clear- because he was pretty sure this wasn't something you were supposed to do. After all, none of the other packages were open.

He didn't think she was a newborn, or at least he hoped not because as far as he knew neither he nor Iruka was capable of caring for anything that small. So, he'd have to work up from there, starting with two months.

Struggling a little, since he only had one available hand, the Jounin worked open the packaging with minimal damage to the actual wrapper and removed one of the light fluffy things. He noticed the kunai pattern on it, and while that seemed strange he decided not to question the logic. After all, what did he know about babies?

A bit more shifting, this time carefully so as not to wake the sleeping infant, and Kakashi managed to get the diaper where he could tell it was definitely to small. Okay, so she was older than that. But exactly how much did babies grow in a month? A lot or a little? As far as he could tell, they stayed little for a long time, so she had to be quite a bit older than that.

He decided to start at a year and work his way down from there as he quickly sealed up the two month old diapers again. He'd gotten down to six months before a kindly lady with a little boy stopped to help him. Since her baby and Kakashi's were roughly the same size, she helped him pick out the correct size. She was even kind enough not to ask him why he didn't know how old 'his' child was.

Next was baby formula. This was a lot easier to pick out. Kakashi took the best one he could find- if price was anything to go by. It was important after all. Though most wouldn't have guessed it by looking at him, Kakashi was big on health. After the formula, Kakashi picked up some bottles and a pacifier (he thought Iruka would appreciate that) before going off in search of toys.

The store didn't carry a very impressive variety of toys, but Kakashi figured he could always find more later somewhere else. He experimented with the toys a bit- trying to discover how they worked and which sounds they made. As they passed by, other shoppers heard squeaking, honking, rattling, and various other noises coming from where the Copy-Nin was standing. They turned their heads to look down the aisle and maybe kept them turned a little longer than they should have. Kakashi stared back at them, one gloved hand clutching a bright blue rattle. The baby woke up and reached for it gleefully. Kakashi handed it to her before making his way down the aisle in search of more toys.

Once he had a full basket of baby supplies in one hand and a squirming infant in the other, he headed over to the cash register to pay. Kakashi tried to take the rattle away from the baby long enough to pay for it and was smacked on the chin by said toy as a result. It didn't hurt the Jounin, but it made him flinch in surprise. The baby giggled, and the cashier looked amused. Kakashi finally managed to wrestle the rattle away from the baby, much to her protest, but once it was paid for, he gave it right back to her and she was happy again.

Afterwards, Kakashi rushed to the restroom to put a fresh diaper on the baby before heading out. The only problem with that being there didn't seem to be any place to do it. At home, the bathroom floor had been the logical choice because he knew Iruka scrubbed it down daily- a lack of germs being the benefit of having a very obsessive compulsive chuunin lover.

But here, he had no way of knowing when it had last been cleaned and the idea of putting the helpless little girl down there bothered him.

In the end, he had to settle for using the limited counter space between the sinks. Keeping the unhappy baby still so she wouldn't accidentally hit her head on the taps was not an easy task while trying to wrestle a new diaper on, but he eventually succeeded with the newfound knowledge that public bathroom counter tops were not designed for that use.

"Alright," he said once they were outside, "Clothes next."

Using his ninja skills, the Jounin found a place that sold children's clothes very easily. Well – the brightly colored rainbow sign and mothers dragging restless, whiny children in and out of the doors were a bit of a giveaway.

He entered cautiously, not knowing quite what to expect. The inside of the store was as brightly colored as the sign outside had been. He started by walking down along the walls and examining the different kinds of clothes there. _Too big, _he thought. He needed to find the infants section.

As he made his way to the center of the store, he could sense children hiding in the clothes racks. One of them popped out to try to scare him, but only stood and gawked once they found out who his intended victim had been. Kakashi stared back at the boy for a while before he continued walking.

Finally, he found a rack full of tiny clothes that looked about the right size. He looked in wonder at all the different kinds of clothes available and wondered how on earth he was supposed to choose. _This is why I wear a uniform, even off-duty most of the time._

As her caretaker was shuffling through the rack, the baby reached out and grabbed the closest one she could. It was a light blue one-piece pajama with small white stars all over it. Kakashi smiled at her and took it.

"You like this one? I guess we should only get a few for now," he told her reluctantly, "Maybe just one or two more."

The Jounin chose a red outfit with a shuriken pattern on it. It reminded him of the clothes he had worn when he was little, before he had started dressing in plainer colors without designs. He decided to grab a bathrobe for her and a pair of pajamas as well. Surely Iruka wouldn't mind if she was comfortable while staying with them, right?

When he felt he was finished, he took everything to the register and paid. The cashier grinned at the bundle in his arms.

"What an adorable child!" she exclaimed, "Boy or girl?"

Kakashi blinked and realized the clothes he had chosen were probably too ambiguous for her to know by looking at them.

"Girl," he replied with a smirk under his mask.

The infant treated the cashier to a shy smile that made the lady try to suppress a squeal, rather unsuccessfully.

"You're so lucky to have such a beautiful daughter," she told the Jounin, still grinning widely.

Kakashi blushed under his mask and held up his free hand before him. "Oh, no, she's not mi-"

Both the woman and the baby stared at him. Kakashi composed himself and dropped his hand as he took back the correction. "I mean…thank you."

He finished paying and stepped out onto the street with the baby and all of his purchases, headed home. Kakashi spent most of the trip thinking about what the woman had assumed.

He reached the door to his and Iruka's apartment and juggled the baby and bags as he tried to open it. Once he was inside, he dumped his bags on the couch and began to go through them as he cradled the baby on his lap.

"You're probably hungry," Kakashi said as he reached for the formula.

The baby made a whining noise as the Jounin shifted her around on his lap. She shivered slightly, and Kakashi decided it'd be best to get her dressed first. He took out the outfit with the shuriken pattern and slipped her into it. Then, he stood up and carried her into the kitchen were he prepared some formula to feed her. Lucky for him, it came with instructions on the back.

Later, as Kakashi sat on the couch again, nursing the infant with a bottle, the thoughts that had clouded his mind on the walk back began to resurface. He thought of the people who had seen him that day and what they had thought of him carrying around a baby. He thought of Iruka and what his reaction had been when Kakashi had brought the infant home. But mostly, he thought of himself. What lay in his future now?

"You know, I never really had a father," he told the baby, "At least not for long. You would have liked him, I think. Everyone always talked about how great he was, and how much he cared about other people. He was really talented too. He could use all kinds of jutsu and whenever he threw a kunai or shuriken, he never missed. I wanted to be just like him…but then he was gone. I wish someone had been there for me."

He cupped the infant's cheek in his palm and smiled at the happy squealing sound she made in response. She grabbed a hold of his thumb and tried to suck it. _So small, _Kakashi thought, _Will you really grow up one day and be an adult? _She seemed so tiny, so helpless. Every time Kakashi looked at her, he just felt _needed_. He hadn't felt that way since Iruka had started dating him. After Team Seven had fallen apart, he had felt like such a failure until his lover had come into his life. Even then, he had always felt like he needed Iruka more than the chuunin needed him. Maybe a part of him needed this baby too. _I'm getting too attached. What happens when someone comes to claim her? What if Iruka just doesn't understand what she means to me? What if I'm not good enough to be a father? No, I can't give up. As long as she needs me…I'll be a better father to her than mine was to me._

"I promise I'll always be there for you – Sakiko."


	2. Chapter 2

Legacy 

_Chapter 2: Temporary Arrangements_

Iruka growled in frustration as he walked home, trying and failing to get the bubble gum out of hair. Plus point for getting creative with their weapons, minus points for getting caught.

Giving up tugging as futile, Iruka shifted the stack of essays he was holding to his other arm with a sigh. A few hours a day with children was more than enough for him, thank you. It was thankless and exhausting work, and why Kakashi thought he'd want one around continually was beyond him.

The thought of his lover had Iruka sighing again. Kakashi hadn't come to get him, and he hadn't heard any rumors about the Copy-ninja accidentally killing an infant, so he could only assume they were fine- which was both good and bad.

Good in that he probably wouldn't find an emotionally destroyed Kakashi when he got home. Bad because, and he'd realized this too late, a whole day alone with the baby would get Kakashi even more attached to it, and it would be harder to convince him that they couldn't keep it.

And they couldn't keep it; Iruka had already made up his mind on that fact. He had several reasons for this, not just that he had no desire for a child of his own, even if that was a part of it. Reasons that he was sure his lover, for all his genius, would not have thought of.

Things like the fact that they could very easily put that little girl through the nightmare that had been their own childhoods. Iruka didn't go on missions very often, but when he did they were always highly ranked- and of course Kakashi's were almost always bad because of his skills, which were needed to complete the most dangerous of assignments. The longer he'd taught at the Academy, and the more orphans he had met, the more Iruka was convinced that two ninja shouldn't have children. There was nothing more painful to a child than having nobody want them, and he couldn't in good conscience place that girl in the same situation.

It would be far better if they could find her real family, or even a civilian family that would be willing to take her in.

Furthermore, his and Kakashi's relationship was currently on a strictly need-to-know basis. In fact, even some of those closest to them- Naruto and Sakura for example- had no idea the two of them were together.

Though ninja tended to have a 'don't ask, don't tell' attitude about all relationships, civilians weren't as accepting. And Iruka had an unusually high contact with them since there were nearly a dozen first generation ninja in his class. He didn't want to deal with those parents and their outrage at having a man who was in a very serious and committed relationship with another man teach their children- considering some of them were already suspicious of him just for being a male that wanted to teach little kids.

If they started walking around with the same baby and became the family he instinctly knew Kakashi would want them to be, he might as well get 'property of Hatake Kakashi- Copy-Nin' tattooed on his forehead and brace himself for the onslaught of parent meetings that could cost him his job if Tsunade decided he wasn't worth all the trouble to keep.

Not to mention the other things babies needed. Constant care when he worked or Kakashi was off on one of the variety of missions he was often given. There were even times when he and Kakashi were assigned lengthy missions at the same time. What would they do with her then?

Space, too, which they frankly just didn't have. Kakashi had illegally moved in to Iruka's government issued bachelor chuunin housing, saying it had less bad associations with it than Kakashi's Jounin apartment did. It was small even for one person. With the two of them they were pretty much constantly falling over each other- Kakashi's big bed took up all but a little walking space in the bedroom. Add a baby and all the STUFF babies came with, and they'd be miserable.

Yes, keeping her was absolutely out of the question, and he'd just have to make Kakashi see reason.

"I'm home," Iruka said, just loud enough for Kakashi to hear him if he was inside, as he kicked off his sandals and dropped his bag by the door.

"Welcome back," Kakashi answered merrily, stepping out from the kitchen with the baby held securely in his arms. Iruka raised an eyebrow at the brightly colored outfit she was wearing, but chose not to comment. While clothes hadn't been on the list, he couldn't scold Kakashi for that one.

"Everything go alright today?" He asked, putting his essays on the coffee table.

"Yeah, Sakiko and I had fun."

Iruka froze, righting himself to look at his lover. "What's a Sakiko?"

"That's…what I decided to call her."

Iruka felt himself going on the defensive. He wanted to stop it and approach this whole thing rationally, but he couldn't quite seem to get his temper under control.

"Kakashi, you can't name it! Once you name it, you start getting attached to it."

"She's not an it," Kakashi pouted. "And what's wrong with getting attached?"

"Because she isn't ours, Kakashi. She belongs to somebody."

"She belongs to us."

"Kakashi, please don't do this," Iruka sighed, rubbing his temples. "We can't keep her. I know you know that. It's just not logical, and we're not equipped to…We can't."

"Following that logic, you shouldn't teach either," Kakashi sulked.

"That's different. I'm trained to take care of them for several hours a day," Iruka almost growled back. "This is a twenty-four hour commitment. It takes things we don't have, that we can't get, and we can't just…"

The baby- Sakiko started to whine then and tried to grab Kakashi's fingers on the hand not supporting her body. Kakashi smiled at her, moving towards the bags on the floor by their couch. "Can we talk about this later? 'Kiko-chan is getting bored. After she's asleep, maybe?"

She wasn't getting bored, she was getting upset by the tension in the air, and Iruka knew it. He felt his temper flare at the thought that Kakashi was brushing the problem away so lightly just because she was a little upset, but he took a deep break and regathered his composure. It wasn't fair to get annoyed at her. Sakiko hadn't asked to be found by the most idiotic Jounin in all the nin-nations after all.

Continuing to upset her would only upset Kakashi, and then they'd never get anywhere. He just had to calm down and approach this from a different angle. Kakashi was, as the evidence showed, already too emotionally involved with the little girl to approach this logically, and Iruka was too involved in Kakashi to do what would be necessary to _**make**_ him see that logic.

So, it was time to appeal to an outsider, and there was one person that Kakashi _**had**_ to listen to. It made him feel almost dirty to have to go over Kakashi's head like this, but status quo was unacceptable.

Iruka sat down across from Kakashi, who'd taken up residence on the floor while he dug out a blue rattle and pacifier for her. He chose to ignore that those hadn't been on his list either as he sat down and held out his arms, "Here. Let me hold her for a little while."

Kakashi looked at him suspiciously, and Iruka winced a little inside from the look that was directed at him, before the Jounin gently laid the baby in his arms. Sakiko whimpered a little at being separated from her primary care giver for the last day, but as Iruka began rocking her she calmed down. She blinked her dark blue eyes up at him, sucking quietly on her pacifier. She really was kind of cute.

"She looks just like you," Kakashi said suddenly, looking comically wide-eyed.

"What?" Iruka asked, looking up at him.

"She looks just like you," the Jounin repeated, reaching out to brush his fingers through the fuzz of the baby's brown hair.

"No, she doesn't. Our hair is similar, I guess, but really we don't…"

"You do," Kakashi said, making it clear that it was a non-negotiable issue.

_Well, okay. It's not like it's a big deal either way_. Iruka grabbed one small foot, using his fingers to wiggle her toes, and Sakiko smiled at him.

"You know," Iruka said slowly, still playing with the tiny feet, "we really need to take her to Tsunade."

"What?" Kakashi looked up at him sharply, but Iruka didn't look away from the baby.

"I don't think we're supposed to just adopt random children without telling the Hokage, do you? And she's bound to notice her eventually." Iruka watched Kakashi out of the corner of his eye as the other man lowered his head and looked slightly scolded. He allowed him a few seconds to think about it before the chuunin looked up at his lover and smiled. "I'm sure she'll just give her a check-up and get some information so she knows to listen for any reports of missing children. Come on. If we hurry, she'll still be in a good mood because Shizune won't have brought in the afternoon paperwork yet."

Kakashi looked momentarily confused as he was pulled to his feet, a little disoriented by Iruka's apparent shift in mood. The chuunin just smiled at him, unzipped his own vest, and carefully placed the baby inside before zipping it up so her head was poking out but she wouldn't fall- leaving both of Iruka's hands free.

The Jounin stared, dumbfounded. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you've never had to try and carry more than two kids at a time." Iruka grinned, adjusting his vest slightly so he and Sakiko were both more comfortable while the baby giggled. "Now, come on or we'll miss our window of opportunity."

Getting to the Hokage's office only took them five minutes as they sped along the rooftops to avoid civilian traffic. Kakashi wasn't sure he liked traveling so dangerously with a small baby, but Iruka didn't seem concerned with it and Sakiko giggled nearly the whole way so he didn't say anything.

Once they got to the tower and walked towards the Hokage's office, they met up with Shizune—who promptly dropped her papers and stared at the little face peering out of Iruka's jacket.

"Wh-what is that?" She gasped

"That would be a baby, Shizune-san. I know she's funny looking, but really you should be able to tell," Iruka grinned at her.

"She's not funny looking! She's adorable," Kakashi protested from behind him, folding his arms and doing his best to glare at Iruka when the chuunin wasn't looking at him.

"You said she looks like me," the brunette in question said with a casual wave of his hand, "Therefore, she must be funny looking."

Kakashi opened his mouth to protest this idea, but Shizune interrupted.

"How on earth did you two get a baby?" She looked absolutely horrified at the idea that anyone would dare to trust two men with a little child and removed her from Iruka's vest. Sakiko whined in protest, wiggling to free herself from the young woman's arms, and the chuunin could feel Kakashi twitch behind him.

Iruka had to admit he was honestly a little insulted. He knew full well how to handle small children, thank you very much. "That's why we're here. We need to see Hokage-sama."

"Tsunade-sama is very busy at the moment! You two should be busy also. I appreciate you bringing in the infant in to the proper place; I'll handle it from here."

Shizune turned to walk away, and several things happened at once. Iruka opened his mouth to say something, Kakashi moved to dart forward, and Sakiko started to scream. It wasn't just screaming, either. It was an ear-splitting wail of terror.

Kakashi froze stone still; eye nearly bugging out of his head like he couldn't believe a noise like that was coming from something so small. Honestly, Iruka couldn't either.

Over the frightened screaming, they could hear a door bang open and Tsunade appeared in the hallway. She stalked over to Shizune, took the infant from her arms- momentarily causing Sakiko to scream louder- and stuck a finger in the little girl's mouth. The baby quieted instantly, starting to passively suck on the finger in her mouth as she stared up at Tsunade curiously.

"Can somebody tell me," Tsunade said, sounding calm even though her eye was twitching in a most undignified manner, "where the hell this baby came from?"

Kakashi raised his hand, managing to make the visible part of his face look sheepish. "I found her."

"Where? To my knowledge, you only got back from your mission this morning."

"Well, you see, as I was coming back…"

Tsunade held up her hand to stop him, and Kakashi gulped. That look couldn't mean anything good. Iruka moved closer beside him, slipping his hand gently into Kakashi's as unspoken support.

"Office. Both of you. Now."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi muttered, following the blonde woman and Shizune into the rather impressive office. Iruka shut the door behind them as Tsunade took a seat at her desk, immediately digging out a little medical kit.

Kakashi felt his stomach twist, and looked at his village leader anxiously. "What's that for? Sakiko's not sick, is she?"

"So you've named her already, have you? No, she's not sick. It's just a standard check up she needs if you're going to keep her."

"Keep her?" Shizune and Iruka gasped at the same time. Shizune sounded shocked while Iruka sounded almost angry. Kakashi shot him a curious look, but the chuunin wasn't looking at him.

"But Tsunade-sama," Shizune protested, "are you sure that's really a good idea? I mean, Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-san are both very busy shinobi. They wouldn't have time, or know how, to take care of a little girl. Don't you think we should do what's best for her and…"

"I am doing what's best for her," Tsunade explained, prodding the baby's belly gently. Sakiko giggled. "The best thing for any child is a loving family, and you already love her don't you, Kakashi?"

The Jounin was genuinely surprised by the question, but answered without a thought. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

He felt Iruka stiffen beside him, and pull away slightly. Kakashi looked at him again, confused. Why did something like that seem to upset the other man? Of course he loved her already! It was hard not to when she obviously was dependant on him for everything.

"Then there is no reason you shouldn't keep her. She's far too young to be used as a very effective weapon against Konoha. However, do you know more about her family? Are they dead?"

"I don't know," he confessed. "I just found her in a basket. It was sort of hidden."

"So," Tsunade said, now turning Sakiko's head to look in her ear in spite of the infant's protests, "It is possible that they're still alive and could come looking for her."

"Yes…"

"Then I shall appoint you temporary guardians. I'll have ninja out on missions in that area listen for reports of a missing child. If nobody comes to claim her in six months, then you can officially adopt her as yours."

Kakashi felt almost giddy at the thought, a very strange feeling he hadn't felt for a long time. He was practically bouncing with excitement. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Now," Tsunade stood up, smiling a little as the baby pulled her finger back into her mouth. "Judging from her development, I'd say she's about four months old. Make sure you have all the age appropriate things. You know what to look for, don't you, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka nodded. All academy sensei were trained to work with children as young as that up until much older, because you never could be sure when a child would show potential to be a ninja. Kakashi was a good example of this.

"Well, then, it's all settled. You can both take tomorrow off to make sure you have everything and Sakiko-chan is all settled. But no more than that." The two ninja nodded again as Tsunade handed Sakiko back to Kakashi. The baby giggled in delight as Kakashi held her close to his chest.

Tsunade smiled at the pair before turning around. "Shizune, have Hatake Sakiko entered into record books for Konoha."

"Hatake…" Kakashi trailed off, looking both frightened and delighted.

"Is something wrong with that?" Tsunade asked, half turning back to them.

"It's fine," Iruka answered crisply, and bowed. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade waved a hand in dismal, and the trio left her to attend the still dumbfounded Shizune.

Kakashi rushed back home excitedly, unable to contain himself. It confused him a little because it was such a foreign feeling for a ninja like him. The only time he ever felt anything close to that was when a new Icha Icha volume came out, though he actually hated to relate it to that. He liked to think that what he was feeling right now was a little more pure. He smiled down at the delighted baby grabbing at his scroll pouches and laughing with each bounce as they soared above the rooftops of Konoha. The jounin was so absorbed with her that he didn't notice the sulking expression on the face of the chuunin just behind him.

When they finally reached the small apartment, Iruka stepped forward and opened the door. Kakashi followed him inside, bouncing his charge, who was still giggling. He kicked off his sandals and took Sakiko into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, only to be disappointed as he found it nearly empty. Iruka took off his chuunin vest and hung it up. He frowned at the bags of baby supplies still by the couch. It only took one large step for Kakashi to move from the kitchen to the living room.

"We'll have to move things around a bit. Maybe buy a small crib so there'll be enough space. What about when she gets bigger though? She can't sleep with us…No, definitely not. Maybe we should get a bigger house! What do you think? Iruka? Are you okay?"

The chuunin was sitting on the couch now and frowning at Kakashi's bare feet. The baby in the jounin's arms was watching him while sucking her thumb silently. Kakashi sensed a bad vibe in the air.

"It's nothing," the chuunin replied dismissively.

"Liar. You know I can tell when something's bothering you. Look, I know you're not happy about the baby, but please, just give her a chance."

Iruka sighed.

"You just don't get it, Kakashi. This baby's not right for us, and we're not right for her. She needs someone she can depend on, who she can count on not to end up dead before she's old enough to know where babies come from. I never agreed to this, and even now, I still don't want to."

Kakashi gave him a long, cold stare. Reality sunk in as he realized what the chuunin's true intentions had been when he had suggested visiting the Hokage. He held the bundle in his arms a little tighter and closer to his chest protectively. His voice shook slightly as he confronted his lover.

"So that trip to see Tsunade…It wasn't for her own good? You just wanted to get rid of her?"

Iruka froze.

"I wanted to hear what she had to say."

"So she could take her away?"

"So she could do what's best for her!"

"Well, you got what you wanted, Iruka," Kakashi growled, trying to keep his voice even, "Tsunade said _I'm _what's best for her. So it's decided. She's staying."

Iruka let out a frustrated grunt and left the living room, shutting the bedroom door behind him loudly. Kakashi looked down at Sakiko sadly as the infant began to cry. What was he getting himself into? And did he want to get out? He rocked Sakiko until the infant clutched onto his vest with tiny fists and slowly quieted down. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep in Kakashi's arms. The silver-haired man smiled.

I'm sorry, Iruka, but whatever you think – I know I've made the right choice. We have a daughter now. A real family – something neither of us ever had for very long. You'll see. I'm doing what's best for all of us because she's not just mine…is she?

And Kakashi realized he didn't know.


End file.
